Why do organisations invest in leadership development only to see people return to work and carry on exactly as before?

In this episode of HR Unlocked, Lisa Oakley sits down with Jocelyn Visser, founder of Compass Consultancy and consultant at People Associates, to explore what makes leadership development genuinely effective.

For Jocelyn, the starting point isn't choosing a course or training provider. It's getting clear on the problem you're trying to solve, the behaviours you want to change, the capabilities the organisation needs, and how all of that connects back to strategy and purpose.

From experiential learning and quality supervision to feedback, capability frameworks, technology, and measuring ROI, Jocelyn shares practical ways organisations can move beyond knowledge transfer and create learning that people can immediately apply in the workplace.

The conversation also explores why leadership development should be continuous rather than a one-off event, how psychologically safe learning environments give leaders confidence to practise new skills, and why the most effective programmes often combine theory with peer learning, reflection, coaching, and real-world application.

Looking ahead, Jocelyn and Lisa also unpack the capabilities organisations will increasingly need in a rapidly changing world, including adaptability, communication, curiosity, comfort with uncertainty, problem solving, and the ability to make complex ideas simple.

What You'll Learn


Why leadership development should start with the problem you're trying to solve


How to align learning with organisational strategy, purpose, values, and capability


Why behavioural change matters more than simply transferring knowledge


The difference between knowing a leadership skill and actually applying it


How quality supervision and feedback support ongoing development


Why experiential and peer-to-peer learning can make development more effective


How psychologically safe environments give leaders space to practise


Why smaller, accessible learning experiences can be powerful


How technology can make learning more accessible for dispersed and frontline teams


Why learning should be reinforced before, during, and after a development programme


How capability frameworks can help organisations prioritise investment


What organisations should measure beyond attendance and participant satisfaction


Why adaptability, communication, and curiosity will be critical future capabilities

Key Takeaways


Leadership development should be purposeful, not development for development's sake.


Learning is ultimately about creating meaningful behavioural change.


Giving people more knowledge won't solve every performance or workplace problem.


Leaders need opportunities to practise, reflect, receive feedback, and apply what they've learnt.


Quality supervision means understanding how people are actually performing rather than relying entirely on second-hand information.


Learning is more powerful when it can move directly from the boardroom into everyday work.


Development doesn't need to be expensive or overly complicated to have an impact.


Technology should make learning more accessible, while the strategy, values, and people needs should determine the content.


Measuring ROI starts by defining the outcome you want before the programme begins.


Capability building should be directly connected to where the organisation is heading.


Adaptability, communication, curiosity, and the ability to navigate uncertainty will become increasingly important as technology and AI continue to change work.

About Jocelyn Visser

Jocelyn Visser is the founder of Compass Consultancy and a consultant with People Associates.

A self-described "people nerd", Jocelyn is passionate about demystifying people challenges and making practical HR and leadership solutions accessible to leaders and professionals. Her work focuses on solving complex people problems through practical, real-world approaches rather than theory alone. Compass Consultancy reflects her focus on helping people find direction and purpose in an increasingly busy and complex world.

She has particular expertise and interest in leadership development, learning design, capability building, coaching, and creating practical development experiences that translate into meaningful workplace behaviour.

Why This Episode Matters

Organisations continue to invest significant time and money in leadership development, yet knowledge alone rarely changes how someone leads.

This episode challenges organisations to think differently about learning by starting with strategy, identifying the behaviours and capabilities that actually matter, and giving leaders opportunities to practise and apply new skills in their real working environment.

As organisations navigate AI, changing workforce expectations, tighter development budgets, and increasing complexity, Jocelyn's approach offers a practical way to make learning more accessible, measurable, and relevant to the business.

Whether you're an HR professional, business owner, People & Culture leader, learning and development practitioner, or manager responsible for developing others, this conversation provides practical ideas for creating leadership development that actually sticks.

Resources & Links
Compass Consultancy: https://www.compassconsultancy.co.nz/
Connect with Jocelyn Visser on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelyn-visser-consultant/
People Associates: https://www.peopleassociates.co.nz/

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Looking for actionable business insights all in one place? 
We're here to help you find a way with a curation of the &lsquo;best bits&rsquo; from top business podcasts. 
Save time searching; subscribe to the SME Stream where you can listen to relevant, timely, business-related content today.&nbsp;
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